


The Glistening Path

by M_ae



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: (slaps hyrule) this boy can make so many bad mistakes, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule (Linked Universe) is about to have a weird time, Hyrule (Linked Universe)-centric, I promise this ends well, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Major Character Injury, Mentions of addiction, Violence, angst with happy ending, as much as i hate spoilers, eventually, i promise to update tags as i write stuff that needs warning, no beta im stupid
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-20 07:01:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30001083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_ae/pseuds/M_ae
Summary: "The Triforce is a very sacred object, said to be sought after by the most humble and power-hungry alike," said the Princess solemnly. She placed a hand on the book's cover, fingers tracing over the title. "Like a mouse to poisoned cheese, I pity the fool who thinks they can consume that power and not reap the consequences. The glistening path was only meant to go in one direction, and forcing it to go another will only lead to destruction."Hyrule, in a feat of desperation, made a wish on his Triforce.
Kudos: 12





	The Glistening Path

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Link, Hero of Hyrule, speaks to Zelda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for some descriptive violence near the middle! It's not graphic, but I do describe it a little bit more.

It was a familiar, smiling face that greeted him as knocked on the doorway of the sunroom. It was a bright, innocent smile, one he remembered to not come as easily as it did now, and he felt himself grow pleasantly warm as he knew such a look was directed at him.

“Link!” Zelda, the girl whom he had known since he was around sixteen-years-old, threw herself at him. He wrapped her in a fierce hug, unable to contain the sudden giggles that fell from his lips.

“Zelly!” Link pulled away and grinned at her, her own face beaming back at him, “It’s been so long!”

Zelda, despite her slip in decorum, steadied herself and returned to that polite, princess-like smile she saved for show. You never knew who’d be listening and watching, afterall. Though Link knew such an act wouldn't last long, Zelda wasn't much of an actress. She was much too honest for that.

“It has! What have you been doing all these months?” Zelda leaned forward curiously, almost conspiring, “Have you been exploring to get away from this dull castle life? Is that it?”

Link grinned, leaning forward to get closer, “Not really, but I guess that was just an added perk. I didn’t exactly ask to leave, but you wouldn’t _believe_ all the cool places I've been, Zelly.”

The princess clapped her hands in delight, a motion that only made his hunger for exploration and adventure grow every time he saw it. He loved Zelda; she understood his need to get out, and never judged him for the times he would hurriedly leave for long periods without explanation. She was always worried about him of course, but did not fault him for his itch to leave those enclosed, crowded spaces, or for taking some time off for himself to get away from the busy life the palace had. She did not question his decision to stay in the role of Hyrule’s Wandering Hero and Adventurer, rather than obtain the title of Knight and stay in comfort and safety at her and her sister’s side.

Link swore one day he would take her away from this palace to explore the furthest reaches of the continent, so she could see for herself the most beautiful environments with her own eyes, but only once it was safe enough to do so. Until then, the two of them would just have to live with the stories he relayed to her himself.

Link worked tirelessly for the opportunity to see that day.

"Please, come join me!" the princess commanded eagerly, and Link grinned at the invitation and walked further into the little sunroom. The rays of sunlight coming through the windows felt warm against his exposed skin, and he felt himself begin to relax.

"Sure! Will Zel be joining us?"

"No," Zelda waved her hand dismissively as she set out a second teacup on the table for him, "she said she's busy right now. Queenly stuff and all that, she said."

"Right," Link awkwardly tugged at one of his curls, "serious as always, Zel is. I'll have to greet her later."

Still, it was awfully strange of her to turn down tea time, especially when he just got back home.

"Indeed she is, but that doesn’t make her any less of a treasure!" Zelda giggled, as if it were an inside joke of how serious and cold the other one could come off as, "So what was it you wanted to share with me?"

“Oh Zelly, it was so cool! I’ve seen a place called The Great Sea, an ocean that is so much bigger and vast than any I’ve seen here, it's so intimidating yet so _amazing_!” the princess grabbed his hands and dragged him over to a chair at the tea-table she had been sitting at. He continued at her non-verbal cue to go on as she walked to another part of the room, “And you’ll never believe this, but I visited a civilization that lived _in the sky_! _The sky_! And they all had steeds, but instead of horses, they were giant birds that’d carry them around and through the air!”

“Oh!” Zelda looked over in interest, “Like those...what were they called, Rocs? Or perhaps those swamp-birds you’ve spoken of?”

“Moby,” Link corrected, “and no; they were much friendlier and kinder than any Moby or Roc I’ve met.”

Then he thought. What was a Roc again? It seemed familiar. Goodness, he had so many enemies, they were getting hard to keep track of.

Zelda giggled at his thoughtful face, and Link decided to let the distraction go as her laughter infected his, "You seem distracted today, silly boy!"

Link felt his cheeks warm as he chuckled, "Sorry, I don't mean to be."

"No worries!" the young princess brought over a steaming teapot from a side-table, voice light as she said, "Anyway, Link, If I hadn't known your circumstances, I probably would not believe you!"

"Trust me," Link nodded urgently, eyeing the teapot. It must have just been brewed, to be hot enough for steam to evaporate. Weird how he didn't notice it. "I wouldn't believe myself had I not seen it first hand!"

Zelda laughed again, though he wasn't sure if it was at him or his comment. She politely poured a cup of tea, which she offered to her best friend, "And all these places; they are home to your new friends, yes?"

"Yeah…" sobering slightly, he accepted the offered cup and delicately drank. It was Earl Grey, but very sugared down, which was odd since the tea already seemed pretty sweet by itself. "it's amazing. T-they are, I mean."

"Hmm? How so?" Zelda finally sat down with him but Link was momentarily distracted with wondering where her butler, who would usually pour the tea himself, had gone off to. Did she dismiss him when he came in without his notice?

"Well, they're just…" Link paused, trying to find the right words, "they're heroes. Just like me. And it's been so long since I felt so..."

...Welcomed? Understood? Maybe he was being dramatic.

Zelda took a long sip of her tea and asked, eyeing him, "Heroes?"

"Yeah," Link wrung his fingers together and smiled sheepishly at the princess, "I never got a chance to tell you this before I left, but the group I'm traveling with are past heroes, we were all chosen by Farore! A-and they all come from different time periods!"

Zelda hummed as she took another sip, and Link earnestly continued, a nervous thought in the back of his mind reminding him of how ridiculous this all was sounding, "It's, it's really complicated, b-but we've been travelling through these portals, like the one that appeared outside Nabooru Town a few months back…?"

"Yes, you said something akin to that in one of your letters," Zelda offhandedly mentioned as she set her teacup down, and Link winced. Was it just him, or was she suddenly acting _cold_?

"S-sorry for not writing so often, it's just I…"

"Do not worry," Zelda smiled at him, and his anxiety was soothed, "I understand."

Link smiled back, warmed because he _knew_ she did.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “thanks. But really, all of them are so incredible, and even though it’s been only a few months, I feel like i’ve known them my whole life. They don't even look at me weirdly when I can't get a sentence out correctly, and it makes me feel so...normal.”

Zelda grinned softly from the brim of her teacup, an unreadable emotion in her eyes, “It’s a rare and incredible thing to find something so precious enough to protect in this world. You would do anything to keep it safe, even if it meant the impossible.”

Link felt his heart warm at the thought. Yes– he, the princess, and their queen, would know that all too well, wouldn’t they?

“Yes!” Link immediately agreed, but then backtracked, “Well, it’s not completely like that, since they can take care of themselves just fine. But I know they have my back as much as I have theirs.”

“That’s wonderful,” Zelda intoned, her face suddenly smooth and unreadable. Then suddenly, as quick as her earlier mood change, she stood abruptly from her seat. In his slightly alarmed confusion, Link in turn rose from his. "You would do anything for them, correct?”

“Yes, of course!” Link swiftly confirmed, "Z-Zelly, is something wrong?”

“Oh, nothing for you to worry about,” Zelda said offhandedly, but her face slowly inched into a grin of earnestness, "But! There is something I _need_ to show you."

“You mean, r-right now?” Link's ears perked in interest. Something to show him? Like what? He had only just gotten back home, and he's already seen what he could of the palace grounds. A gift then? 

At her beckoning, Link took her right hand in his left, and the two of them left the sunroom together. Her smile was wide and excited, the happy tune she hummed to herself filling the space around them with sweet nothings and cheerful anticipation. 

And yet, it was very off-putting how quickly his gut twisted.

"Zelly, what are you planning?" Link implored, questioning eyes watching the back of her head.

"Ssssshh," Zelda looked back at him and held a finger up to her lips, a teasing look on her face, "it's a surprise, all shall be explained! Don't be so weary~"

Link found he couldn't speak despite his instincts telling him that _something wasn't right_ . Of course, his question was originally meant to be playful and curious. The more he thought about it however, the more something in his mind seemed to whisper the mantra of _flee, protect, kill them before they can kill you,_ and he didn't even know what he was so afraid of yet.

What wasn't she telling him?

But it was Zelda's skipping footsteps and beaming face glancing his way that overcame his danger radar. The young hero swallowed his reluctance and the young hero let her drag him along, hands strongly wrapped together. 

Zelda turned left down two long, lonely hallways, and then took a right down another with no windows. The two went straight ahead for another time, the temperature seeming to drop more with the distance they walked. It took a particularly quiet atmosphere and a large imposing door in their path for Link to realize where their destination lied.

"Zelda, what did you want to sh-show me?" Link was able to ask once again, tone heavier as he forced them to a complete stop. Zelda turned to look at him, a peculiar look on her face that he can't remember her ever wearing. It didn’t quite reach her eyes.

" _Link_ ," she drew his name out in a pleading tone, one that struck him as being so unlike her, "just trust on my word and follow me. Please?"

For the second time in his visit, Link was beginning to feel that solid, deep heaviness crawl under his spine and burrow unwelcomed into his chest. But it was another feeling, one that continued to grow stronger with each footstep, that whispered more urgently to him. His intuition, that deep, archaic-feeling signal that worked to keep him alive all these weary years. 

And as he ignored her begging look and held onto that feeling, the more he began to realize. 

The castle was never empty. It was always busy, filled with people earnest enough to rebuild their crumbled kingdom. It was never quiet, and noises like his and Zelda's only echoed across the corridors after dark when the only ones awake were those who guarded the palace and the royal family at night.

And now, the only sounds he heard were the clicking of Zelda's heels echoing off the walls, and his breath that had begun to pick up in harshness.

It didn't make sense.

When they left the sunroom, there were no servants waiting to attend to them. When they walked down the hall, no guards or knights stood waiting silently behind the corner like Link had expected them to be, nor did the two intercept them in their patrols through the palace. When passing by open rooms, there were no maids burdened with heavy laundry baskets power walking in the other direction to make it to the washroom in good time. 

Nobody was here.

Silence had accompanied their short journey, and it wasn't until now that it struck him how _odd_ it was that they hadn't come across a single person walking along in the hallways.

"Zelly," Link said, voice tight. He forced himself to keep speaking, "no...n-nobody's here."

He had to get her out of here. Before it was too late.

Zelda blinked owlishly up at him, "Pardon?"

"Th-There's alw-ways people around the p-pa‐pa–around h-here," he tried to quickly explain, tightening his grip on her hand, "but, but th-they're all g-gone." _Nobody's here. Don't panic. Stop panicking._ He took a deep breath. 

"Uh…" Zelda took a moment to herself to look around, face blank as if she were reading a boring piece of fiction, "...Uh-huh."

"Y-Yes," Link nodded assuringly, but inwardly cringed at his inability to explain the situation, "s-so, so for your safety, w-we need to…"

Link felt a little dizzy. He stared off at the far wall to help him think.

"Need...to…"

Wait a moment. _Wait._

Link...did not know where he was. Or more precisely, how he was here. How did he get here? In fact- where was everyone? Why were the hallways empty? Why was Zelda acting so, so _N_ _ot-Zelda_ yet _very-much_ like Zelda at the same time? Why weren’t the other heroes here with him, were they alright-

"Link, you silly!" an endearing, fluttery giggle said, "Of course there are people in the palace!"

Zelda clutched Link’s arm, face pleading as she unintentionally interrupted his thoughts. Clarity washed over his mind, and though it was still there, the warnings and thoughts in his mind were overpowered and muted.

Link looked back down and into her deep, blue eyes, and smiled apologetically.

That’s right. He was here to visit his best friends. Zel couldn’t join them right now, but that was fine, as she was always busy anyway. The others weren’t here right now either, but that was also fine. They would join him when they were ready. 

People have always been in the castle. It was impossible for _nobody_ to be in the palace, so they were probably all just somewhere else. 

They never left. He was just overthinking things again, as he usually does.

Link felt his anxiety soothe, a calming feeling touching his heart. He also knew that he trusted his princess. Zelly would not do something to hurt him– at least not intentionally. It also wasn't often she was incorrect about something. So if she said there were people still in the palace, she was probably right.

“Of course th-there are. S-Sorry, Zelly,” he sheepishly told the princess as she slowly let go of his arm, “You were right. And r-really, I tru-trust you! I promise.”

Link nodded, and Zelly smiled at his acceptance. Slowly, the old door creaked open, revealing an old and dark, dusty staircase beneath. One last shared look between them, and down into the lower levels the two went.

And down…and _down…_ and the further they trekked, the colder and more narrow the stairwell seemed to get. It was a familiar path the two took, and not one Link was sure Zelda would have been happy to take. But not once did she struggle to find her way down the dark, tunnel-like structure, and neither did she let go of his hand. It reminded Link of dungeon crawling back in his early adventure days, when he didn't have a torch or a hint to direct his path, barely a map to his name. The mustiness of age with the addition of dust from newly disturbed steps made it uncomfortable to breath in such a small space, and Link slowly found himself becoming claustrophobic with each step.

Soon, their destination lay behind one last crooked door, light seeping through the gaps of a doorway that hadn't been touched in years. The hinges creaked but somehow gave easily under Zelda's calm hand, and it made a wretched howling noise that reminded Link of a dying Ache. The thought and sound made him cringe as the door inched open.

Light from the other room filled the stairwell and blinded them as they stepped into it, but Link didn't need his vision to already know what was in there. 

Having been taken care of for years, the room was a bleak comparison to what it used to look like when it was still in use. Glass panes along the high ceiling that have somehow withstood the test of time allowed for natural light to shine down from above, still giving an ethereal, almost sacred atmosphere to a once well-preserved room. Unlit candelabras lined the perimeter of the room like stoic, unmoving guards, and the deepness of the shadows in corners where the light could not reach gave the impression that the room was never-ending. The room did end however, and at the end Link knew another imposing door sat as a secret entrance to the outside. In the center of the room, one could not ignore the raised platform with stairs which led to an uncomfortable looking, high-raised slab that would have better been used as a pedestal for a statue rather than a potential deathbed.

With once-pristine walls and greying pillars, surrounded by dirty, violet curtains that droop to dusty floors, this room had become neglected the moment its sole occupant awoke from her eternal slumber. Originally, they had thought to repurpose the room, make some use of it. But nothing felt right, and even if they had completely remodeled and repaired it, the eldest Zelda still would not have stepped foot in it.

At least, that's what Link had thought. And yet, here he was, hand-in-hand with the once slumbering princess of an old Hyrule whose history had long since been lost to time. 

Zelda took his hand, and she slowly led him up the dias. 

"Come, sit with me," the princess bid him as she hopped onto the pedestal. Link nervously sat down next to her and stared out into the room.

It was so empty. He didn't think she was trying to surprise with a gift him anymore.

"...I'm, I'm surprised you brought me here," Link said. He squeezed her hand. "You haven't been down here since…"

Zelda was silent beside him, and he wasn't sure what his next turn of action should be. Was she doing alright? Would it be okay to ask her why they were here? Would it remind her too much of the past– of her brother, who had betrayed her?

"...This place holds a lot of memories. It is a very important place."

Link felt the grip on his hand shift, and he looked down to see both of Zelda's hands encasing his left one.

"Link," she said softly. The young man looked up at her, and she was staring at him. "You remember this place, don't you?"

Link looked around. How could he forget? "Yes."

Zelda still looked unmovingly at him, and he felt the impression that she had expected more from his response. Maybe she wanted something more profound? 

"I...this is where my last journey began and ended," Link smiled at her upon his next sincere thought, "This is where I got to meet you, Zelly. And I'm so glad for it everyday."

"...Is that it?"

Link's smile fell, as did the sinking stone in his stomach. Why did her presence suddenly feel so imposing? 

The princess let go of his hand and stood up with a sigh. She circled around to the side of the pedestal and strutted down a few steps, looking over her shoulder forlornly. 

"Perhaps I was expecting too much."

What?

"Though maybe this time, this is a good thing."

Link stood up as well, following down a few steps behind to grab her hand.

"Z-Zelly," he asked, heart starting to race again, "Why are you asking me these strange questions? W-Wh-What were you expecting me to a-answer?"

Why was he _really_ brought down here?

Slowly, the princess turned around again. That odd stare of hers was back, and as the room's lighting gave her face a looming shadow, her eyes bore deep into his like a haunting spectre. Link shivered as he could finally pinpoint what felt so off about the looks she'd been giving him today. 

Her eyes– they had nothing in them.

"Of course you don't understand," Zelda intoned, and with her other hand she turned over his own. "I should have expected you wouldn't. I apologize."

Link was frozen in his spot. His heart seemed to skip. He could hear it beating in his ears. He felt his lips quiver, but couldn't force anything out of them. He could only watch her as Zelda rolled up his sleeve. Gently, the princess took the string that held his hand guard together and slowly unraveled it. Unweaving through his arm guard and eventually slipping off his glove, both items fell to the floor as Zelda ran a thumb over the rough, scarred skin of his hand. 

Or more specifically, she brushed over the mark of a fully completed Triforce that sat on the back of his exposed left hand. Link felt uneasy about it being out like this, but it was just Zelda, no matter how off she was acting.

Yet, his inner warning system had still returned again at full force. It was telling him to run. It was conflicting. 

"Ze-Zelda," he finally croaked quietly one more time, hoping for and halfly dreading the answer to come, "wh-what's goin-going on?" 

"This time, I'll have to make it clear. No room for error can be allowed," Zelda said affirmingly. The princess moved her eyes away from the symbol on his hand and looked over him once more. "The future is seldom certain, hero. But that does not mean there are exceptions to this rule."

_Exceptions?_ Hold on, was that even possible for her to–

_Deep breaths. In and out. There must be a reason for this._

"Zelly, are, are you saying you-you've seen the fut-ture?" he asked, unable to believe his own conclusion. Zelda once bore the Triforce of Wisdom and also held the blood of the goddess in her veins. But was she truly able to do something so profound? So _otherworldly?_

"And it's with this knowledge of what's to come," the princess continued to ignore him, face devoid of giving anything away, "that I command you of this. Please understand, hero, that if you truly have a good heart, you will listen to me before it's too late."

Zelda, with a surprising intensity to her eyes and oppressing aura, spoke with a voice full of authority and power. 

"Give up the Triforce. Immediately."

" _W-Wh-What?_ " Link sputtered. That was so– how could he have expected her to ask this? _Why_ would she ask him this?!

"You heard me," Zelda countered, and Link's heart leapt into his throat, "You must give up the Triforce."

"I must– I-I have to g-give it up?! _No!_ " Link wrenched his hand out of hers and he covered it desperately. The shock of his inner systems blaring with warnings and commands made his arms tremble and breath begin to come up short. _Breath, Link._ "Zelda, why?! Y-You can't just ask m-me that and expect me t-t-to listen to you w-without an ex-expla– without a reason!"

Zelda stared up at him in what he determined to be frustration. He could barely hear the scoff over the ringing of his ears as she said, "Explanation? As if I owe you one?"

_Flee! Run! Kill them before they can kill you!_ the familiar mantra was screaming, intruding and interrupting his inner thoughts to the same beat of his heart.

"It is simple," she continued. Zelda stepped up a stair, and Link was quick to copy that. "The triforce is no longer safe with you, and I'm starting to doubt if it ever was in the first place. I made a mistake, so I'm asking you _nicely_ to hand it back over and be done with it."

"I-I...Zelly..." Link's head was swimming. He wasn't sure what to do, which direction in his head he should follow.

"Look at yourself. _You've become addicted._ "

That piercing gaze was unrelenting. It made his body turn to ice, unable to break their contact as she peered deep into his soul. 

"But, w-wasn't it _you_ who told me that the Triforce chose me? Tha-That it was safe with me to protect it?" he choked out his question in panic. As Zelda took another step forward, he took another step back, heart leaping into his throat. 

"I was wrong," Zelda hissed, "and for that, I _must atone greatly._ "

_Move!!_

Link leaped backwards on instinct, but was startled by his thighs slamming into the pedestal behind him. Before he could think to do anything else, the young women in front of him also leapt. His back crashed _hard_ against the cold stone, and his breath was forced out of him as Zelda landed on his stomach, knees tightening around his torso.

“Zelly…!” he was able to gasp out before the ability to speak was taken away from him by the hands clutching his throat. He kicked his legs out from under her, but it wasn't enough to lift the weight of her body sitting on top of his.

“I did _not_ sleep for all those centuries for some brat to take that golden power and use it like it was _meant_ to be used in such a volatile, selfish way!” Zelly violently howled, and Link felt himself grow weak as he struggled to throw the abnormally feral princess off of him, "It is not fair to us, and it is not fair to _you!_ "

Link felt it hard to breath as her thumbs pressed harder into his throat, and panic enveloped his brain as it was becoming harder to see, harder to fight back, harder to _think._

"For you, you are better off _dead_ than to face the unwanted potentials using that power could bring you!" the princess hissed, and her sharp nails _dug_ into his skin, his head thrown back in shock.

_Somebody, help…!_

Tears began to fall down the sides of Link's face. He did not want to hurt his princess. He did not want to hurt Zelly. He did not want her to hurt _herself_ in the event that she actually killed her best friend. He reached a hand up to gently touch her face, to somehow bring the princess back to her senses, but the pain that came from her chomping down _hard_ on his fingers made his chest jump and head swim with the shock and pain. 

Her eyes were so, so blank.

_Please…!_

But even if could bring himself to hurt Zelly, this sudden strength and dedication she had was enough to somehow keep him down. He could not fight back even if he wanted to.

He was about to be a dead man, and that _terrified_ him, even more than the idea of his best friend being the one to murder him.

_I need….help...._

Link's hand uselessly dropped from Zelda's mouth, and the princess screamed.

"Let it _go! Stop using it so much!_ **_It isn’t yours to use!!_** _”_

_I need to...let go…?_ Link thought through the haze. Something in his mind seemed to click, and it pressed into the front of his skull, willing him to somehow _remember_.

Zelly’s unholy shrieks began to fade into the background and he felt himself grow limp as the darkness swiftly swallowed him whole. Within the sudden quietness of his mind, a single line echoed ominously.

_"May this serve as your first warning, hero."_

...

And then Hyrule woke up. It wasn't in a gasp for air, or in a frightened motion. He simply opened his eyes and was awake.

Hyrule's chest burned as he took in a deep breath, lungs temporarily heaving at the effort. He could still feel hands clawing at his throat, and his right hand felt as though it were burning. Wheezing, he eagerly sat up, and the feeling disappeared as if it weren't there in the first place.

Despite the spike in his chest, it felt like he could actually breath again suddenly. 

"You okay?" he suddenly heard across camp. Jumping, the traveller whipped his head around to look for the source. 

The Hero of Twilight, who had been given the last watch for the night, was looking at him with concern. The Hero of the Wild, who was right beside him, gave him a worried glance and a half-smile before returning to the steaming cooking pot in the center of camp.

"Y-Yeah," he croaked out, wincing at how rough his voice sounded, "just…dreams?"

The word came out as a question. Because really, while it felt like he had run a long distance without stopping, doubled onto the energizing buzz of _fight or flight_ still strumming through his system, he honestly wasn't sure why he was awake earlier than usual either. Did he have a bad dream? It seemed like the only plausible explanation. His extremities felt sore and his skin felt slick and clammy, but other than that, he felt completely fine. 

Twilight frowned, "If you want, you can go back to sleep. I'll make sure they let you sleep in."

"Ah!" The traveller's hands flew up in a halting motion, "N-No, that isn't necessary!"

He probably couldn't fall back asleep anyway. That was very kind of him to offer though.

With a reassuring grin, Hyrule stretched his arms out and yawned. The aches in his back, as if he had been laying on a brick floor instead of a soft sleeping mat all night, protested at first but quickly began to feel better as he bent over and reached towards his toes. He _could_ use magic to soothe his aching limbs, but using his reserves on such minor things didn't feel right. He wanted to preserve what he had for a _real_ injury.

It felt rather cold for early morning, but having just arrived yesterday to this Hyrule (the country, not him), he wasn't too sure what the weather was supposed to feel like. The air was very moist and heavy, which didn't already help how clammy he felt, and the air felt heavy as though it was supposed to rain any second. The trees above the camp towered over them all, a giant, unrecognizable canopy adorned with spikey fruit hanging on branches Hyrule has never seen before. It was nothing like what he'd seen from his own travels around Hyrule and Calatia. 

Rather shakily, the young man stood up from his mat and made his way over to the cooking pot. The two sitting there smiled at him as he settled down next to them and asked, "Can I h-help with breakfast, Wild?"

"I'm almost done, but sure!" Wild grinned at him, "It'll be boring though, I'm having you stir the pot while I sort through my stuff to make room for lunch."

"That's fine," he responded. Any mindless task to take his mind off of his restless sleep would do. 

As Hyrule stirred, the three remained in companionable silence. It didn't last long however, as one by one, their camp began to wake up and become more lively. 

"That smells _great,_ " said the captain, Hero of Warriors. His hair was still a mess as he was the first one after Hyrule to officially get up. "did you help, traveller?"

"I just stirred."

"It would have burnt otherwise," Wild distractedly pointed out next to him, eyes still on his slate, "don't sell yourself short!"

Hyrule rolled his eyes, "You could have stirred instead, you know."

"Yeah, but I didn't. You did."

Hyrule guessed he could find something symbolic in that, but it was literally just a bunch of sliced vegetables and whatever else thrown into some broth at a high temperature. There wasn't much to look into, and doing so would probably just make his head spin. Although, the repetitive action of stirring and letting the sounds of the waking camp wash over him made his mood recover from this morning's sleep. 

Soon, the eldest member of their group was finally awake. Known as the Hero of Time, the man wandered over to investigate the smell coming from the cooking pot.

"You didn't cook that, did you?" Time raised an eyebrow towards him.

"No," the young traveller patiently explained again, "I-I just stirred."

"He's being helpful," Wild added.

"I see," the man nodded in acknowledgement and sat down next to Twilight. The two were quick to start conversing.

It wasn't long before everyone else woke up. Wind, the Hero of Wind, and his loud voice demanded they save some breakfast for him as he ran into the surrounding woods alone, laughter from the others following in his wake. Four, the Hero of the Four Sword, sleepily scratched at his atrocious bed-head that took a form equivalent to a mop and silently plopped himself down near the pot the other hero was stirring. The Hero of Legend, the one he determined to be the hero before him, was the next to wake up but remained seated nearby on his mat, where he was sorting through his bag of trinkets. The sounds of various objects pumping into each other from within blended well with the noises of Hyrule's spoon scraping the sides of the pot every so often. Of course, per the usual, it wasn't until the verbal confirmation of a warm, completed breakfast from Wild that Sky, known as the Chosen Hero, actually decided to sit up from where he was sleeping. Whether the Chosen Hero was awake this whole time or not, Hyrule was inclined to believe that the other still wished he was asleep. 

The sounds of everyone gathering by the boiling pot, accompanied by the casual noise of quiet conversation, pleasantly washed over him, and the young hero found that the built-up tension from whatever plagued his sleep was slowly ebbing away. It was such a calming feeling, being surrounded by these fellow heroes. Slow mornings like this on the road made him the happiest. Truly, he would do anything to keep these simpler times untainted.

The group sat around with their bowls, conversing about random topics and trading stories as they dished themselves portions of stew for breakfast. The two eldest in their group of heroes were quickly enthralled with their own conversation off to the side, but the others too had started a deep discussion of their own, some more vocal about it than others.

"But then why is it called the _Roc's Cape,_ " said Four, "if it didn't imply the existence of a Roc?"

Items found along their journeys were already pretty interesting to talk about, but origins of said items were just as confusing to think about as finding them in treasure chests was. Hyrule could agree with this as some of the items he found were, while convenient, seemed rather on the…. _creepy,_ side. Nobody would have guessed how crucial those unsettling dolls he found became to his second adventure (and life).

Though today it seemed they were discussing something Hyrule was once again unfamiliar with. What's a Roc?

"I have a few Roc feathers somewhere in here," the Veteran of their group stated, jostling the bag in his lap around, "and they helped me sorta-fly over pits that were too big for me to jump over. I'm inclined to believe in the existence of a Roc, and all the places I've found these things are too good not to be true. You can't just fabricate these things _specifically_ for us to find and distribute them to random countries–I've seen weirder shit happen, but nothing as coincidental as that."

"I don't know," Sky hummed beside him, "Some of the stuff I've found seemed too specifically placed for them to just be there for any sort of traveller to happen upon, especially if you consider the dungeons you found the item in."

"Are Roc's actually real though?" interjected the youngest in their group. He paused a slight moment before considering, "I've fought Kargarocs before, but I've never heard of just a Roc!"

Four quickly piped back in, "But I feel like that's just further proof of there having been a Roc, as most animals tend to share similar names with other creatures in their genus!"

"A what now? Genus?" Twilight looked confused. 

"I'm, I'm sorry, but what's a Roc?" Hyrule interrupted, having not been paying attention, if they mentioned that part already.

"We aren't very sure-"

"It's totally a giant bird," Legend didn't waste time speaking over Four. 

"A _WHAT?_ " Wind immediately inhaled some of his stew and nearly choked, Wild sympathetically patting the boy on the back as he coughed up his last bite.

"A giant bird?" something itched at Hyrule's mind, and the young man took an uneasy bite of stew. Where had he heard of a Roc…?

" _For all we know,_ " Four quickly took over before Legend had a chance to spin more tales to scare the others, "It could have just been some overgrown lizard with feathers. We can't know for sure, because Rocs are most likely extinct."

"Oh."

Legend scoffed, "A Lizard with _feathers_?" 

"Not sure which one I'd rather face," Twilight mentioned, a small grimace on his face, "Aeralfos were already a pain to deal with."

"I'd chance the lizard," Wind deadpanned, placing his stew aside. It successfully grabbed the attention of Warriors, looking over in curiosity.

"Overgrown lizards?" quoted Wild, " _and_ a giant bird? No thanks, been there done that."

"Are you guys done?" the captain asked over them, ending the conversation, "The more you talk now, the less time you have to eat. We're on a schedule, you know!"

"Not that we know where we're going or when we'll get there," Legend grumbled, but brought a spoonful of stew into his mouth anyway.

"You okay, Wind?" Time asked from the other side of the pot.

"Yeah, I'm cool!" came the surfire reply. The boy picked his bowl back up again and quickly started shoveling food into his mouth to avoid talking. The man let him be, getting up and placing himself next to Wild instead. 

"How about you, Rule?" Sky suddenly spoke up. The sound of his name made the other man jump.

"Wh‐What about me?" he asked, startled, "do I look bad?"

"No, no," Sky reassured with a quaint smile, "you just seem out of it is all. Sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable!"

"Oh! Yes, I'm fine, and you're alright! Just tired is all."

Immediately Sky's smile fell, "Oh! Have you not been sleeping well?"

From beside the Chosen Hero, Twilight made eye contact with the traveller. He felt his heart jump into his throat at the knowing look, and the young man struggled not to stutter.

"It's– no, yeah! I'm sleeping well!" Hyrule chuckled awkwardly and tugged at his hair, and quickly tried to direct the topic away, "But I really wouldn't mind a warm bed tonight!"

"Oh! I understand!" Sky bought it, his trusting smile returning as he mused, "I miss my bed back at home. A real bed would help with getting shut-eye."

"Haha, yeah, seriously…" the traveller stammered, some of his anxiety ebbing away.

Twilight wasn't eyeing him anymore, but the memory of those piercing blues baring into him like an oppressing spell made him nervous. Surely the older man didn't mean for it to be like that, but it was something about a meaningful gaze that gave Hyrule anxiety. That, and, he didn't really want to trouble anyone. Perhaps it was no problem for them to help, and Hyrule could understand wanting to help the other members in their group, but that didn't mean he couldn't try his best so that they didn't have to worry about him all the time.

...He wasn't lying about the bed thing though. A warm bed would be nice. 

"Everyone," Time's voice rang out, and the group turned to where Wild and Time were standing together, "we have a destination."

Wild picked up where he left off, "Right now, we're in the Faron Grasslands."

Grasslands? But they were surrounded by a forest…jungle?

"Since we're stocked up and in good shape, I was thinking we could travel east towards the Lakeside Stable near Lake Floria," Wild explained, lifting his Sheikah Slate in emphasis, though nobody could really read it from where they were standing. 

Sky visibly perked up, but could comment on anything before Legend asked, "And when are we due to arrive there?"

"If we keep a steady pace," Wild said, clipping his slate back at his hip, "we should make it before nightfall, or maybe just after lunch if we go fast!"

"Great," the veteran grumbled. Hyrule solemnly patted him on the back; it was barely bright out, and he too was not looking forward to so much walking. 

"We were hoping that making it there today," continued Time, Wild having sat down to collect leftovers from breakfast, "would mean we'll have time to make it towards the closest village to ask around about strange monster sightings and behaviors."

The group broke, Hyrule among the handful going towards their respective spots to gather their things. Legend had already begun putting his stuff up midway through their meeting, and Hyrule in the first place didn't have much to put away, so really it was just waiting for the more messier, slower members of the company to pull all their stuff together. 

"Lurelin is beautiful, it sits next to Necluda Sea," Wild spoke up from where he was sorting through his cooking utensils, "There'll probably be a few stray enemies in our way, like a few Electric Keese, and maybe some annoying bugs that might bite."

_Electric Keese?_ Hyrule shuddered. Nope. Didn't like that. 

"But those guys are easy! Trust me, you guys won't regret today's pace if we make it there in good time. I'm talkin' good food and a warm breeze!"

"Next to the sea?!" Wind exclaimed, jumping to stand on top of the log he was sitting on earlier, "Hell yeah, that's the shit!"

"Hey now!" Warriors laughed, wrapping an arm around the boy's stomach and holding him close, "Easy on the language, pirate!"

"Hey, fuck you!" Wind laughed, losing his balance and struggling to fight his way out of the captain's arms. Legend threw an irked look their way.

"Hey, quit being annoying and help break camp with us," he barked, tossing his rolled-up mat at them. Warriors blocked it with his back, the thing uselessly falling to the ground. It did no harm, but the war captain still had a hurt, disbelieving look on his face. The man gasped, releasing Wind and placing a hand near his heart.

"That could have killed me!"

"Relax, it was a damn sleeping mat," Legend rolled his eyes.

"If you threw that at my head hard enough, it could have snapped my _neck_!"

"Sorry Legend," Wind hopped off of Wars' lap, where he had ended up in the scuffle, "I forgot _your kind_ were allergic to fun."

" _My_ kind?" 

Wind muttered something under his breath.

"What?"

The boy scoffed, "Wouldn't you like to know."

"Know _what?!_ "

"Boys!" Time's low timbre swept over the camp. The conversation was effectively shut down, though it didn't keep the younger boy from snickering and the other from glaring at him.

Hyrule quietly snorted, shaking his head with a smile at the antics. Sure, Wind knew just how to pick on the elder hero, but Hyrule had a sneaking suspicion Legend had more patience for annoying people than he was letting on. If the veteran was really upset, he probably wouldn't have even bought into the bait in the first place, if Wind somehow couldn't catch onto his foul mood despite his usual careful observance. 

Either way, he was glad most mornings like this remained the same. It made him happy. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *quietly sets up the plot* wow i have way too much to do, its kinda scary lol
> 
> Thanks for reading, second chapter should be up soon!


End file.
